Purge this Toxic Ingredient from Your Life — Here's Why

This month, Minnesota became the first state to ban triclosan, an active ingredient in hand sanitizers and soaps, because of health concerns. Here’s what to look out for when purchasing antibacterial products.

Photo Credit: Jim Mone/AP Photo

Avoid products that list triclosan as an ingredient.

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Even if you’re not an obsessive hand-sanitizer user, you likely have some products containing triclosan, the germ-killing active ingredient in many antibacterial products. Triclosan is found in many soaps and sanitizers, and it often shows up in toothpastes, clothes, furniture and toys. But come Jan. 1, 2017, triclosan will be banned in Minnesota, according to legislation passed by the state this May. Minnesota is the first state to ban the substance, though the Food and Drug Administration was already looking into the health hazards of triclosan.

The FDA’s website states that triclosan is “not currently known to be hazardous to humans.” But it also acknowledges that studies on animals have shown that the chemical penetrates the skin and causes hormone disruption. And many health care professionals argue that for most healthy people, there aren’t really any benefits since regular soap and water will clean your hands just well. The FDA has mandated that any manufacturer using the chemical must prove that isn’t harmful and that it does have demonstrable benefits for consumers to continue producing it.

Because that won’t happen for many months (or maybe years), here’s what you need to know about anti-bacterial agents.

If triclosan is dangerous enough to be banned in Minnesota, should I avoid it?

The FDA hasn’t officially banned the substance yet, largely because they’re still gathering evidence. Triclosan has been on the market for 30 years without serious adverse effects, so if you’ve been using it, don’t panic. But there are concerns, said Colette Cozean, PhD, a biomedical engineer who serves as the CEO of Innovative BioDefense, a medical device company, and reviewer for the National Institutes of Health. Here are some that Cozean pointed out:

It takes a long time to kill germs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend antibacterial agents kill germs in 15 seconds, but triclosan takes 1 minute.

It may be contributing to antibacterial resistance. Most people don’t wash their hands for that full minute triclosan needs to work, so the remaining bacteria that have been exposed to can become resistant.

It might penetrate the skin, causing hormonal disruption. The FDA is currently reviewing this evidence, but studies in animals suggest this.

It’s infiltrating the water supply, which may also impact our hormones.

Overuse of antibacterial products may be weakening our immune systems. Some exposure to germs is good, since that allows our immune systems to build up its own resistance.

The final straw for triclosan is that for all these risks, it’s unclear what the benefit is. “I can’t comment on the risks of triclosan, but the benefits — if they’re there — are vanishingly small,” said Michael Phillips, MD, medical director for hospital epidemiology and infection control at New York University’s Langone Medical Center.

Because triclosan is an active ingredient, it will be listed in the “drug facts” box on any product, according to the FDA. If you’re trying to avoid it, look out for that.

Fewer people than you might think. Because plain soap and water is just as effective at getting rid of bacteria, antibacterial products really aren’t necessary for most people. Who are most people? “Regular folks with no open wounds and non-compromised immune systems,” according to Dr. Phillips. In fact, most healthy people who do get a scrape or cut can likely keep it clean with just soap and water.

So then who needs the products?

People who are in the hospital. Everyone who’s going into surgery is going to get some pretty intensive antibacterial action, as they should, Phillips said. Additionally, anyone with a compromised immune system should be extra careful about germs, which often includes using antibacterial products. Phillips explained that he always weighs the risks with the benefits: Surgical patients or sick people at much higher risk of disease will benefit more from the intervention.

In the event of a pandemic, everyone. New diseases often don’t yet have an effective vaccine and antibacterial products can help stop them, Phillips said. In fact, triclosan exploded in popularity during the H1N1 scares, Cozean said. Of course, pandemic states are not the norm.

Even without triclosan, there are still plenty of other antibacterial products to choose from. The simplest may also be the oldest: alcohol. Alcohol kills bacteria quickly and effectively, as do peroxides and chlorine compounds. If you’re donating blood, it’s an alcohol swab that will clean your skin before the needle goes in, Phillips said.

Many companies, including Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, are redesigning their products in response to the FDA’s query into triclosan, Cozean said. Cozean’s company, Innovative BioDefense, produces Zylast, an antimicrobial product that uses benzalkonium chloride as its active ingredient, and contains no triclosan. While alcohol, peroxides and chlorines all work rapidly and then disappear, benzalkonium chloride is a residue-producing antibacterial, meaning it can remain and work for hours after application. If you have questions about a specific antibacterial, talk to your health care provider.

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